War - Murder- and Riots okay - but Israeli basketball on Ramadan called 'insensitive' by Muslim players

November 6, 2005

MIM: The Muslim players on the Israeli basketball team are being touted as the ultimate in multi cultural harmony. In reality poster boy Abu Suan exploits his position of the team to bad mouth Israel at every opportunity to the international press. The demands of Muslim players that the whole Israeli team not play on Ramadan is a brazen ploy to once again make Israel appear as if they are oppressing Arabs. Of course Arabs had no such sensitivities when they launched the Ramadan War of annihilation against Israel in 1973 ,and the riots now taking place in Paris during Ramadan. Apparently such religious sensibilities are only relevant when they can be used to make others appear to be 'insensitive' to Muslim religious demands.

"....Muhammad himself led his followers in battle during Ramadan. As well, Muslim nations have waged war both on non-Muslims and on each other during the Ramadan fast. And the predominantly Muslim nations that attacked Israel in 1973 chose a date holy both to Judaism (Yom Kippur) and Islam (Ramadan). At a moral level, therefore, the issue of a Ramadan pause is a non-issue..." http://www.beliefnet.com/story/93/story_9399_1.html

November 1, 2005 Israeli Arab players accused the national soccer federation of religious insensitivity for refusing to reschedule a game during Ramadan.

During Ramadan, observant Muslims refrain from drinking and eating from sunrise to sunset. When the federation slotted a game Saturday for the mixed Arab-Jewish team of Bnei Sakhnin four minutes after the end of the fast, seven Muslim players ate early to be ready.

Before Ramadan, which began in early October, the team asked the federation not to schedule games for an hour after the end of the fast, the club's Jewish coach, Loufa Kadosh, told Israel Army Radio on Monday.

The team's captain, Abbas Suan, a Muslim, said the refusal to reschedule the game was inexcusable. Immediately after Saturday's game, Suan and another player drove to the Al Aqsa Mosque to pray for atonement for breaking the fast.

"I only hope that God will forgive me," Suan said.

The federation's manager, Pini Kainan, said the match had to held at the designated time due to commercial considerations, including TV times.